Fence-machine



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

R. E. REX.

FENCE MAGHINEi i No. 398,281. Patentedfeb. 19, 1889.

N4 PETERS. Phelwjmugmphm wmhingxon. D c

PATENT FENCE-MACI-HNE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 398,281, dated February 19, 1889- Application tiled December 3, 188B. Sen'al No, 292,545. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, Ross E. REX, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Pueblo, in the county of Pueblo and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fence-Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or iigures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

lily invention relates to improvements in Vfence-makin g machines; and it consists in the construction and combination of parts, to be more fully hereinafter described and claimed.

The object of my invention is to safve eX- `pense of time and labor in the manufacture oi' this class of fences by a simple, durable, and convenient machine which is readily understood and operated. I attain this object by the form of construction illustrated in the accompanying` drawings, wherein like letters of reference are used to designate similar parts in the several views, and in which- Figure l is a top plan view of the machine.

Figa 2 is a side elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical section of t-he same. Fig.

l is a 'front end elevation of one of the twisters, showing one of my improved attachments in connection therewith. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on the line .fr .r oi' Fig. 4L. Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of one of the wireholding spools. Fig. 7 is a similar view of a part to actuate the fence-tightening roll. Fig. 8 is a detail sectional view of part of the winding-roll, showing the manner of pivoting the plates therein.

A indicates the bed-frame, oi substantially the form shown in the accompanying draw` ings, supported by suitable uprights, A A', which in turn are secured to a base-bar, B. The said base-bar B is extended beyond the front end ot the machine to receive an inclined support, A3, having an Open slot, a', in its upper end adapted to be closed by a draw- ,pm a2.` Adjacent to the rear upright, A an teni-fight, A?, is secured, having enlargements ci inthe upper part thereof, with open slots therein. Vithin these slotted enlargement-s d transverse shafts S and S are mounted, and held therein by any suitable and well-known means. These shafts S and f are arranged parallel and in vertical alignment, and are adapted to receive wire-holding spools C. These spools C are constructed Oi' two parts separable from each other, the parts c of each of said spools comprising a" head supporting rounds c2. The other part of each of said spools consists of a head, c, with suitable apertures therein to receive the ends of the rounds c2 of the opposite head. Each of said heads is also provided with a collar, c3, which abuts against the next adjacent collar, thereby spacing the said spools to prevent them becoming disarranged. By means of this separable form of spool the coil or bight oi' wire may be placed thereon without unwinding said wire, thereby saving' time and labor.

On the top part of the bed-frame a crossbar, D, is secured, having guide-staples d arranged in pairs on the top surface thereof. Ahead of said bar D, and mounted in suitable journal-boxes secured to the bed-frame, are two adjacently-situatod rollers, E, having grooves e therein. Adjacent to the ends of said rollers other grooves, c?, are formed, which receive clamping blocks or strips E', which are made adjustable by means oi' a bolt and nut, e. lVhile the said rollers E are permitted to have free movement in the journalboxes, and will be used thus at times, it Often becomes necessary, under certain conditions, to change the tension, and this is accomplished by clamping the blocks or strips E upon said rollers. This will affect or retard the revolution of said rollers and the desired tension be thereby obtained. Ahead of said rollers E, and secured to the top ot" the bedtrame A, are two cross-strips, G, upon which journals g are arranged in parallel line. Within these journal-boxes the twisting-spindles G are mounted, having meshing gearwheels thereon arranged between said bars G. The one spindle G arranged nearest the one side of the frame has a beveled gear, G2, secured to the rear end thereof, which. meshes witha similar gear, F2, secured to the one end of a transverse shaft, F. The outer end ot' said shaft F has an operating crank-handle,

IOO

F', secured thereto, and by this means the twisting-spindles are revolved. The forward ends of said twisting-spindles G are made in the form of enlarged heads y', which are slotted to receive plates G4 and G, the outer surfaces of these plates lying flush with the front edge of the said enlarged heads, and are held in connection therewith by bolts q2, passing through said enlarged heads and through the said plates. The plate G5 has two or more apertures, gi", to adapt the twisters for use in connection with broad or narrow slats. ln making narrow-slat fences the wires are passed through the t-wo apertures nearest the center of said spindle, and in making broad-slat fences through the outer ajgiertures. This change of wires from one position to the other is accomplished by withdrawing the holt g2 and removing one or both of the plates G1 G5, as will be readily under- A stood.

In front of the twistilig-spindles G a slatted frame, Il', is secured, and below said slatted frame, adjacent l-to the bottom board, B, a square rock-shaft, H3, is mounted on suitable end bearings, lV. Hinged to one side of said rock-shaft il. at regular intervals are metallic arms 71,2, which project upwardly, and are hinged to an upper rock-shaft, H2, secured in the bed-f rame A. This upper rockshaft H2 carries upwardly-projecting curved arms H, having bifurcated ends 7L', through which the wires leaving the twisting-spindles pass. To the opposite side of the said rock-shaft H3 adjacent to the two ends thereof, and almost parallel with the metallic connections zare wire rods h3, which pass up through apertures 71y in two of the slats or frames Il. As shown, three of these apertures 71 are [formed in said slats, and the rods 715i are adapted to be placed in en gagement with any one ot' said apertures, in order to bring the projecting ends oli' said rods nearer to or farther away from the twisting-spindles Connected to the one end of said rock-shaft Hs is a pivoted lever, lll, projecting above the bed-frame A, and by operating said lever the arms H are thrown away from or brought nearer to the ends of the spindles G, and the upper ends of the rods 7b3 are projected up through the apertures 7L, or drawn down therethrough. AWhen the slat is passed through the strands of the wire, the lever lllis drawn toward the rear end ot' the machine and the arms ll brought to bear against said s'lat to .force it against the twist before made. The upper ends of the wires h3 proj eet upwardly in front of said slat, to prevent its being pushed over too far. It will be seen that the arms ll have free movement and operation between the slats of the :frame lI, as shown in Fig. l.

ln the upper slotted end, (1. of the forward inclined frame, A3, a roller, I, is mounted, having short metallic end extensions, which are held in said slots a' by a draw-pin, c?. Over this roller the completed fence travels down to t-he roller K, journaled and held midway of the said inclined frame A3. This roller K is square in con liguration, and is constructed of two parallel strips secured at their ends to stub-shafts s, which have bearing in the journais. A space is leit between the strips composing said roll, and to one of said stripsmetallic plates 7U are pivotcd and adapted to project upward above the face of the said roll. Said plates 7,: are pivoied in the roller K, for the purpose of allowing them to be thrown down between the parts of the said roller, in orderthat the roll of completed fencing may be readily removed therefrom. These strips L engage one ot' the slats ofthe completed fence, and as the roller K is turned will hold the samein contact with the roll and prevent its slipping. To one of the stubshafts s which project outward from one side of the frame A3 a double ratchet-wheel,.KQ is secured, composed of two ratchet-wheels of ordinary construction, which are engaged by the ends of extended pawls L', secured to. a lever L, which in turn is attached to one of the uprights A by a pivot, Z. The forward ends of the elongated pawls L have metallic plates secured thereto, which are constructed with downward extensions Z2, adapted to play on the inside of each of the ratchet-wheelsK, and with horizontal members Z with forward down war fllyben t ends adapted to engage the teeth of the ratchets. These metallic extensions are constructed of pieces of metal bent at right angles and separated from each other -at their forward parts to form the downwardbent end ot' the horizontal member Z As the lever L is operated, the one pawl L shoves its ratchet K forward while the other is drawing back to engage its ratchet. This movement of the said pawl L is alternated, and when the lever L is rapidly operated becomes almost continuous, and a steady revolution of the roll K is had. By this double ratchetlandpawl attachment an invariable tension can be sustained and a small amount of slack be taken up.

In operation. the wires from the upper and lower spools C are passed through the guidestaples d in the strip D, thence under the first roller E, and over the second roller E in the grooves e thereof. Said wires are then passed through the spindles G and through the inner or outer apertures, g5, in t-he plate G5 of the head g of said spindle, as may be required. The slats are inserted'bctween the wir-es in the usual manner in this class of machines, and as the twist is made between said slats other slats are inserted and the manufacture ot' the fence becomes continuous.

The guide-staples d, with the grooves c in the rollers E, serve to remove kinks or twists from the wire before entering the twistingspindles. This is aided materially by ttyw sion blocks or strips E on the rollerfal. hereinbefore set forth.

tu res therein opening out from one side there-- of, and the other adapted to bear against said apertured side of the aforesaid plate and close the opening ot Jthe apertures, sulilstantially as described. Y Y

2. A tension device for fence-making niachines, comprising two parallel horizontallyarranged grooved rollers extending entirely across the machine-bed, and having adjustable blocks or strips located above and below` said rolls and engaging' with grooves near the 2o ends thereof, adapted to regulate the tension of said. rolls, substantially as described.

3. A winding-roll for fence-making niachincs7 having a double ratchet on one end thereof, in combination with double levers or extended pawls having metallic plates on their front ends bent into shape :t'roin a single piece ot' sheet metal to forni an extended guard to engage with the inside ot each ratchet, and a downward-bent lip to engage the teeth of said ratchet, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I afx my signature in presence of two witnesses.

' ROSS E. REX.

'W itncsscs:

R. A. HesBRoUcK, T. F. AMICK. 

